During our phone calls to each other, Jack barely had anything to say. All he wanted was for me to talk, and that was just what I did. I spoke of nothing but random stuff, but it seemed to get his mind off his mother. There were even a couple of times I heard him laugh, which led me to believe he’d bounce back. Now all I waited on was the phone call saying he was coming home. Every day I waited to hear those words, but they hadn’t come.
It was late Monday morning and I’d just finished up with a client. Now that my boss and his wife were back, my schedule had lightened up a bit. However, when it was time for their baby to be born I knew it would pick up again. I was happy to have the clientele.
A knock sounded on my door and I turned to find Korinne sticking her head in. “Speak of the devil, I was just thinking about you.” I laughed.
Korinne Matthews was beautiful, her golden-blond hair always perfect with waves down her back. When I was in college, she was my idol. She’d been in numerous magazines for the work she did designing clients’ homes. People all over the country wanted her expertise.
She walked in, dressed in a royal-blue skirt and cream top, her skin sun-kissed and glowing from being on vacation. “Hopefully, it was all good stuff,” she said, joining me by the window.
“Of course it was. And congrats on the baby. Galen told me the day before you two left. I have to say you look amazing; I can totally see the glow.”
Grinning from ear to ear, she rested a hand on her stomach. “Thank you. It’s been a miracle. For a time there, I didn’t think I could have kids. Now I’ll have two.” She glanced out the window and sighed before turning back to me. “How did your appointments go? I wanted to make sure you weren’t completely swamped while we were gone.”
I waved her off. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. When I first started working here, I never expected to have the clientele I have now. I’m just glad people are giving me a chance. I was scared no one was going to want me when they could have you.”
“Are you serious?” she gasped. “We have people calling here all the time asking for you. You’re amazing at what you do. I’m not shocked at all. Soon it’ll be you in all the magazines.”
“I wish.” It would be a dream come true to see my picture in a magazine.
She bumped me in the shoulder. “It’ll happen. Now what do you say about getting something to eat. I’m craving something fried.”
My eyes lit up. “And I know just where we can go.”
She pointed to the door. “Lead the way. I’m ready.”
Ever since I started working out with Jennifer, I hadn’t been able to think about my favorite restaurant. Since Jack had been gone, I’d spent most of my free nights with her, exercising and just hanging out. She even stayed over and ate some of the wonderful food Angela left me. It was nice having someone other than my brother to hang out with.
Ryan was spending more time with some of the guys on the team and I was happy for him. It looked like he was starting to find his place, especially after the touchdown he told me he’d made at the last game. I guess all it took was for him to prove himself worthy.
The restaurant I wanted to go to was only a few blocks away, so we decided to walk. It was nice having so many great restaurants so close to where I worked and lived, but I still couldn’t wait to get a house with some land.
Once inside the restaurant, we sat down and the first thing I noticed was the cakes.
“Don’t look behind you or you’ll regret it,” I said, opening the menu. And of course, as soon as I said it Korinne turned around.
“Wow, I think I’m in heaven.”
“And you will be if you get a piece. The chocolate on chocolate is the best.”
After we ordered our food and drinks, the waitress brought out our own individual loaves of cornbread. There were times I wanted to order a dozen of them and eat them for my meal; they were that good.
“I have to say, I have never been here,” Korinne said, glancing around the restaurant.
I took a sip of my tea. “It won’t be your last visit—I can assure you of that.”
The waitress brought our food: fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and steamed cabbage. I missed the food in Texas, but I was starting to love North Carolina food even more. In a way, I felt like a traitor, but Charlotte was my home now and I had no plans of leaving. We were almost done eating when I noticed Korinne staring at me.
“Who is he?” she asked.
I swallowed down the rest of my cornbread. “Who is who?”
She smiled. “The guy you can’t seem to stop thinking about. I can see it all over your face.”
“His name is Jack. Right now he’s in Florida with his brother. His mother just passed away.”
“Oh no, that’s horrible,” she said sadly. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I’m really close to my mom.”
I nodded. “Me too. I’m just waiting for him to get back. I don’t know when that’ll be.”
“I’m sure he’ll be home soon. And when he is, you’ll be right there for him.” Yes, I will.
We paid for our meals and started back toward M&M. “Did you always want to design?” I asked her.
“My whole life. Although there was a time when I lost my way. It was after my first husband was killed.”
I remembered her telling me about him. He was a doctor and had worked double shifts at the hospital. On his way home, he fell asleep at the wheel and wrecked his car. They had only been married for a short while.
“How did you find your way back?”
Her smile was sad. “Galen found me and asked me to work for him. I was all for telling him no, but he staged a whole scheme and had Rebecca in on it.”
I gasped. “Really? Tell me.”
“He had me come with him to look at a house and when we got there, the inside was hideous. The colors were all wrong and nothing matched. I thought I was in a nightmare. Anyway, when I walked around the house it was like everything came back to me. I found my creativity again.”
“That’s terrific. I can totally see Galen doing that.” We got to the entrance of M&M and my phone rang. When I glanced down at the screen, I gasped. “It’s Jack.”
She pushed me to the side. “Answer it then, silly.”
I moved away from the door and answered the call. “Jack?”
“Hey, baby.” His voice sounded lighter, not as distant and depressed as before.
“How are you?”
“Much better. I’ll tell you everything when I get home.”